Island



@Nitin H. S. )VI-HTH, OF XEW'POR'I, RHODE ISLAND.

NEWSPAPER-FILE.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 31,919, dated April 2, 1861.-

` T o all lwhom 'it may concern.'

. Be it known that I, H. S. IVHITE, of Newport, in the county of Newportand State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Newspaper- Files; and I do hereby declare the followingto be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification,in which- Figure 1 represents a perspective View of the file. Fig. 2represents a section through the strips that form the file, and showingthe fastenings thereof. Figs. 3 and a represent by similar views, amodification of the fastenings shown in the first named figures, bothbeing, however, substantially alike.

I am aware that two strips have been used for a newspaper file, with astring` lacing to hold them together. But in these cases, the strings,generally, if not always, were passed through holes made in the papers,and the strings were tied to each other, to hold the strips together. Ilay no claim to any such newspaper file, or string fastening; becausethey are troublesome in the first place, and insecure in the secondplace.

I have made a newspaper file which is very cheap, very efficient, and isopened and closed with the greatest celerity. It is moreover heldtogether at its center as well as at its ends, and thus firmly holds anypapers placed between the slats. I neither tie nor untie knots infastening or unfastening the file strips, and entirely avoid the slipthat takes place in all knots, or the slack when tied.

My invention consists in a newspaper file, composed of two strips, oneofwhich has upon it points which take into holes or recesses in theother, both strips having slotted ends, around andl through which a cordor cords are passed and held by friction to secure them firmly together,and to the paper held between them. And my invention further consists infastening the file strips together at their center, by the cord whichfastens one or both of the ends thereof, by friction, and thus avoid thenecessity of tying knots.

To enable others skilled inl the art to make and use my invention, Iwill proceed to describe the same with reference to the i drawings.

A, B, represent two strips of wood or other material the one (A) havingin it points a, a, which pass into holes c, c, in the other B. The endsof these strips are slotted as at e, e, to receive and hold firmly byfriction a cord, or cords f, f', that are first drawn through the slotse, e, and then wound around the ends of the strips and then drawn intothe slots again. In Figs. l and 2, I have shown two cords f, and 7', bywhich the fastening is made at both the ends, and center, of thestrips-the center fastening preventing the strips from springing awayfrom the paper, and thus enabling me to make the strips light, andeasily held by the reader or user. The cord f is fastened as at 2', andone, two, or more turns of it passed around the ends of the slats, andthen drawn through the slots e, e, which not only draws up the cordtight, but holds it tight afterward. The other cord f', is fastenedtothe strip B, and is first passed overI a button n on the strip A, atabout its center, thence carried to the other ends of the strips fromthat held by the cord f, where one, two, or more turns of it is madearound said ends, and then drawn through the slots e, which holds everything taut. In Figs. 3 and 4:, I have shown how the same result may beattained by one cord f', as follows: The cord is first fastened to thestrip B, as at 2'; it is then passed through the slots e, at that end,'(without the turns first made around the slats, or with them as may bepreferred), thence over and around the buttons n, a, (as shown at Fig.3,) thence around the other ends of the slats from whence the Vcordfirst started, and finally through the slots e which makes the wholetaut and firm. The paper is shown in red between the slats, the points0,-@ passing through it.

The objection to knots is first, they are troublesome and tedious to tieand untie; second, the knots will slip, 0r get slack, and allow thepaper to tear out; third, the cord soon chafes out by tying and untying,and gives way. All of these objections I avoid, and cheapen and simplifythe article besides.

The capacity of my file is only limited by the length of the points orpins a, a, it being" equally applicable to one sheet or a hundred,without overstraining or understraining any of its parts, as must be thecase where metal fastenings are used. l

Io pass the cords first through the slots e, e, and then one, two, ormore turns around the ends, and then pass the end of the cord or cordsthrough the slots again, makes an exceedingly firm fastening, one thatis made with great facility and despatch, and as easily unmade, while itwill not slip or slacken in the least.

Having thus fully described the nature and object of my invention, whatI claim therein as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is-- 1. Anewspaper le composed of two strips-one of which is furnished withpoints or pins that pass into holes or recesses in the other, and havingslots formed in their ends,

l i l l i l l l tween them as set forth.

2. Fastening the slats together at their centers, by means of the cordwhich fastens one or both of the ends of the file, as herein 20 setforth and shown.

Witnesses BENJ. GUMFORD, CHAs. H. WHITE.

H. S. VHITE.

